Corinne Bailey Rae, 46, makes rare comments about late husband Jason as she reflects on her adult life being divided by the ‘before and after’ of his death – 17 years on from his overdose

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Corinne Bailey Rae recently spoke about the death of her husband, Jason Rae, who tragically passed away from a drug overdose 17 years ago at the age of 31.

The singer behind “Put Your Records On,” who is 46 years old, recently told Billboard how her father’s death influenced her music. She released her second album two years after he passed away.

She was only 22 years old when her husband, Jason, died in 2001. They had met in a jazz club, and his death was accidental, caused by a combination of methadone and alcohol. He had been taking methadone, a substitute for heroin, but was unaware of its risks.

Corinne explained that she views her life as having two distinct phases, with her first album released in 2006 marking a clear division. She also noted that Jason’s passing profoundly impacted both her personal life and her career.

She described feeling like her life had been split into two distinct periods – before and after his death. She had previously expressed her worry that her sadness would never fully go away.

Corinne Bailey Rae quickly gained popularity in 2006 with her hit song “Put Your Records On.” Her first album, also titled Corinne Bailey Rae, was a huge success, reaching the top of the UK Albums Chart and earning a triple platinum certification.

Corinne discussed the contrast between her first album, released in 2006, and her second, The Sea (2010). She explained that a personal tragedy significantly impacted her life during that time, and she later found love and married jazz musician and producer Steve Brown, a longtime friend, in 2013.

Looking back at my first album, it feels like it belongs to a completely different phase of my life – a life before a major turning point. Jason’s passing really marked the end of that era for me.

That event felt like a major turning point in my life, completely separating everything into what came before and what happened after. It not only altered my personal life but also dramatically shifted the course of my career.

She explained that she didn’t feel strong enough to navigate an industry focused on repeating the success of her first record, especially with the pressure to collaborate with famous artists.

I wasn’t ready for that level of attention, and the record label understood that. They gave me space and let me figure things out on my own.

Corinne recently shared details about her life with her husband, Steve. They got married in 2013, and it was a well-attended event because they have a lot of mutual friends, having known each other for many years.

I really admire the dedication it takes to commit to someone in marriage. To me, it’s like looking ahead at a long journey and asking, ‘Will you take this on with me?’ It’s both thrilling and a big responsibility, because you can’t possibly know what the future holds.

Just two years after starting her career, Corinne faced tragedy when Jason was found dead at a friend’s house. He had taken methadone that was prescribed to James Sheasby, who was recovering from heroin addiction.

Although Jason had cocaine and ecstasy in his system, the medical examiner determined these drugs didn’t cause his death. Professor Peter Vanezis, a forensic physiologist, explained that because Mr. Rae had never used methadone before, it had a strong and dangerous effect on his body.

Corinne described her husband as her one true love, saying he was a uniquely beautiful and complex person who could never be replaced. She shared this statement at his inquest.

Oh, it was heartbreaking hearing her talk about it. Apparently, Jason had been fighting this battle with alcohol for years, going back and forth. She said he’d get these stretches, sometimes three, even seven weeks, where he wouldn’t touch a drop, desperately trying to figure out why he’d lose control when he did drink. It was like he was trying so hard to understand what made him go to such extremes… it just breaks my heart knowing he was struggling with that.

Jason often drank a lot, and when he did, he’d usually look for drugs like cocaine and ecstasy to extend his evenings. Knowing him, he probably went to the pub intending to have just a few drinks and thought he could handle it.

He only ever experimented with drugs when he was already intoxicated with alcohol. As far as I know, he’s never tried methadone.

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2025-11-25 13:50